DONE. 8/27 Dr. Pete's Breakdown

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DoCt0rPeTe

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Wow what a summer. I don't even rememer what the test was like because I am so burnt out.

Bio- 24
Ochem-30
Gen Chem- 30
Reading-22
Math-18
Pat-18
TS-28 (99.9%)
AA-25 (99.9%)

BIO- random. But this was expected. I had a solid foundation in Bio and used Barron's AP BIO and Destroyer. I would say that this combination is sufficient to score 20+. Some of the other questions I picked up from my knowledge of Cell Bio and Biochem classes that I have taken. I was hoping for a 20, and am more than happy with a 24. I also know what I got wrong, and its annoying because the question is debatable......

Gchem+Ochem- Honestly, if you know destroyer cold, you will have a great handle on these sections. I finished both sections in 20 mins. I came in with a solid background in the chems, and Destroyer fine tuned me. If you need a standpoint, my first time around in Destroyer, I would get maybe 4-5 wrong out of 30. But don't solely use it as a problem source- the explanations are where the wealth of the information is. It is a STUDY guide. For all those who say it's overkill- well it was well worth being "overkill" to me.

PAT- Idk what happened here! I ran to the bathroom after my science section because I had 2-3 mins left (after having reviewed the section 1 time). I got into trouble with the lady outside because I gave her an attitude, and didn't sign in the right places, so I wound up being late to my PAT lol. The keyholes were impossible for me idk. I was scoring 22 on CDP, but had not taken a test for like 3 days before my test- I think that contributed to my low score. I'm just glad its not any lower. I can live with it.

RC- I wrote down keywords...actually I don't recall what the heck I did. I just raced through it, searched, destroyed, read some, mad some notes- Idk. I didn't do much practice for this section, so I was praying for a 19. I don't even remember my passages I think I had one on aging and the brain. Not positive lol.

QR- wow this sucks. I was scroing like 32/40 in Destroyer math, so I thought I'd hit over a 20. But my mind was SHOT. I couldn't think, and I started to give up. I just answered whatever I could, and started to make educated guesses on questions. For instance, if u see a figure and they ask you for area of an irregular shape like a square minus some weird shape, I would pick an answer under the area of the square. I was burnt and did my best. I honestly think all you need is Math Destroyer. Know how to solve the problems, but make sure you time yourself. My test had like an endless supply of word problems so know how to solve those quickly. I suggest doing math at the end of the day when you can't take the pain anymore- because that's how you will feel during the test lol.


I studied my whole summer away, and it's back to school on Monday. But it was WELL worth it, so good luck to all who are taking it soon- you're gonna kill it!!
 
Broski U killed it. your scores are so similar to mine! COngratulations. happy to see double 30s. When I saw those on my score report, I almost passed out🙂
 
congrats on the great score..

did you use any practice test?

how was chem/ochem more conceptual or more problem based/ reactions based respectively?
 
thanks guys!

Well I had taken the kaplan tests...3 of them- just for stamina.

Also I made sure that any question I got wrong, I knew why and made sure never to make those mistakes.

I made a list before the test of the stupid mistakes I made like rearrangement during E1, alkylation etc., and believe me, seeing that def. helped me refrain from making stupid mistakes on the actual exam.


The kaplan tests were somewhat accurate.

Here were my scores-

Bio 20, 23, 22
Chem 23, 25, 23
Organic 28, 25, 30
PAT 20, 22, 22
RC 19, 20, 19
QR 23, 22, 21

Honestly I think the test is also somewhat based on luck-

I happened to get a test where I knew alot of Bio subject matters because I took uppder-division classes and picked up some good stuff from destroyer. However, I have only taken one DAT, and can't speak for the other exams which I have never seen.

Um, I know there was another question but I dont remember so Im gonna post this and then look at the screen and post something else...i dont know what im saying im so burnt out lol
 
oh right so ochem and gchem-

it was both.

I had calculations, setups, and conceptual for gchem. Not hard tho- but one calculation I went thru 3 times just to make sure I did it right because it was like .579/some number and I just freaked becuase two answers were like 5mg awayy! But don't let that scare you- I was just freaked out because it was one of the first questions and thought they would all be that bad. But they were easy if you know destroyer and the works.


Ochem- I always had a good intuition for it, I was an Orgo TA blah blah. But you can get good at it from the Destroyer. It is a solid book. I don't want to sound like I'm a salesperson here, but honestly he is called Orgoman for a reason. Know the book cold, and if you don't understand something DON'T let it go- look it up!

I often used wikipedia to look random things up-

I remember not knowing why LiAlH4 converted amides to amines. It bothered me- so I looked up the mechanism.

If you understand everything, rather than just memorize the problems, I think you are in excellent shape for the DAT.
 
Sick scores dude!

plz tell me how to get as good a sci background as you in oc and gc...see, im outta school at this point working and just decided I gotta go into dentistry after deliberating and following the forum for a few months. My science background is ok, could be better, but not the worst. I finished with a sci degree and have all the prereqs done, but my job doesnt directly relate to what I finished in college. Ive been outta school for 9 years now and don't have any time to waste but I dun remember the sci classes I took in ugrad. I dont have the ability to quit my job while studying for dat tho. So how should I go about learning oc and gc again before I start with destroyer? I wanna get them down pat like you did and then do destroyer.


9 years is a long time man. I would take a minimum of 4-5 months preparing hard for the DAT. You will be miserable- if you can't take off work, then just make sure you don't waste any time each day- set a strict schedule for yourself, assuring that you get to study at least x hours a day.

I burnt of lots of time going on the internet, lurking these forums etc. I suggest you keep your head in the books for the next few months.

Honestly, I would highly reccommend Chad's videos for chemistry. Everyone on this site uses them, and I have only heard great things. When they were free, I watched a few, and I have to say that the guy is good.

Watch his vids, do his problems, and then hit the destroyer. Once you understand the destroyer, you know you are good to go. Don't waste your time with AP chem books- they all have mistakes and are EXTREMELY overkill. Use them if anything as a guide; personally I'd rather use wikipedia. Honestly it's all about doing problems and learning from your mistakes. That's how I studied- I discovered where my weak points were, and I drilled them hard.

If you want to really destroy organic, use the Organic Chem Odyssey- its too intense for the DAT, but kids that use it for orgo always destroy the section. Definitely overkill, but I don't know how hard you want to study!

You should take notes from his vids, and review them every night.

As for Biology, go thru the thinkwell biology series of videos and problems. You have been out of the game for a while, so if you want to score high, I highly recommend this. Only in your last month of studying should you start the Destroyer bio- otherwise you will seriously get frustrated, as the book is quite challenging.

Some like the Kaplan course, materials- I think they are great as practice, and to learn from your mistakes. You can find their materials online or on this forums- I know they circulate on here somewhere.


Also use the Barron's AP Bio book- it's great for simplifying Biology.

You should be good to hit 20+ for the sciences if you do all of this.

Buy Math Destroyer for Math. It's really on point.

Lastly, use SDN for questions! Don't sit on here passively and burn your time like I did. Ask questions! There are a bunch of intelligent people on this site, and they will be more than willing to help you.
 
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